The black combat suit fit tightly against her body, as if it were an extension of her skin. V's blue eyes showed innocent curiosity as she looked at her outstretched five fingers, encased in the black Nano-suit, finding it incredible.
Science is truly amazing.
It was not easy for V, who came from the Nomads family, to reach this conclusion.
Next, dozens of mechanical arms continued to operate, fitting Armor Modules onto V's body.
Layer upon layer of slate-gray plates were fitted, and V felt the accompanying sense of weight.
These armor pieces could withstand, at minimum, a direct hit from a rocket-propelled grenade.
Feeling the heavy weight pressing down, V made a surprised guess.
Greaves, thigh guards, thick chest armor, and back plating—the mechanical arms flashed with sparks and rotating bolts, securely welding the armor onto the combat suit.
Soon, V, clad in futuristic armor, appeared before Berry.
However, it wasn't finished yet; there was one last step.
A mechanical arm extended, inserting the control chip into V's neural interface slot.
"This is..."
Feeling a chill in her head, V felt slightly uncomfortable.
"Relax, V. This is the armor's control chip. It connects you to the armor, making it like... man and machine becoming one."
V initially didn't understand what Berry meant, until the final helmet, similar to a motorcycle helmet, was placed on her head by the mechanical arm. The synthetic glass visor suddenly closed, plunging V's vision into darkness.
In the darkness, there was only her breathing and a faint vibration. V belatedly realized that this must be the Mech's battery starting up.
"Mech activated."
A clear, synthesized female voice suddenly rang out. Following this sound, the world seemed to suddenly regain everything—color, smell, sight, touch... all rushed back into V's body with a brand new appearance, leaving her shocked and bewildered.
"This... this is..."
The visor reluctantly swept away the darkness and became transparent. Status bars appeared along the frame, displaying the Chassis's condition.
The holographic screen in front of her looked like she had entered a game, with a fisheye distortion effect at the corners—the sensation of observing the world after being isolated from it.
Correspondingly, however, was the profound reality of her body.
The sudden surge of energy throughout the suit made the Mech's nearly 300-kilogram weight feel instantly light. V felt lighter than she did without wearing the Mech.
"V, how do you feel?"
Berry, holding a PDA tablet, stood to the side like a little secretary, observing V's adaptation.
"Good, no, it's fantastic! I've never felt this great!"
V's tone was nuanced. This might be the effect of the Combat Stimulants the inner gel layer was beginning to secrete, or it might be psychological.
After all, this feeling was truly wonderful.
V felt completely filled with power. Her roar felt like it could shatter glass; her punch could pierce a tank.
Of course, this was just an illusion created by her newfound strength.
After all, the control chip in her head had virtually fused her with the Mech on her body. For a moment, the Chassis felt like V's new body.
"Don't move around, Sister V. Look here."
Berry waved the PDA, finally drawing V's attention.
"Now we test your visual system to see if there is any lag or motor incoordination."
Berry spoke, slowly moving the PDA in her hand upward.
Following Berry's movement, V also lifted her head, her gaze tracking the PDA in Berry's hand.
"Good. Next, move left."
Berry slowly leveled her hand, and V's gaze followed the PDA without missing a beat.
Finally, Berry lowered her hand, and V followed until her gaze was in place.
Hmm, there seemed to be no abnormalities.
Step one complete. Berry breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Alright, next is the motion system test."
Berry then directed V to look to the side. There, a mechanical arm held a metal shield whose surface was painted with the snarling face of a Hammersmith, a sight designed to provoke anger.
"V, give it a punch."
The instruction was crisp and clear, so V complied.
Moving cautiously next to the target, V gathered her strength, ready to test the power of this Chassis.
However, the instant the thought of engaging her muscles flashed through her mind, V realized her fist had already shot out, accompanied by a sonic boom, pulling her entire body forward.
With a loud bang, the metal round shield painted with the Hammersmith's head exploded into a shower of metal fragments. But V, unable to control the Chassis's superhuman speed and strength, lost her balance and crashed to the floor, scattering a pile of debris everywhere.
"Holy hell!"
In her panic, V subconsciously swore, flailing wildly as she tried to scramble back up.
However, the Chassis's extremely fast neural response turned her panicked movements into a disaster. She couldn't stand up, instead flopping helplessly on the floor like a fish on dry land, making the metal floor clang loudly.
"V, calm down! Imagine you are the Chassis. Use the Chassis's mindset to drive your actions, and adapt to its speed!"
Beside her, Berry was anxiously cheering V on.
As an Ace Pilot, she had a lot of experience operating a Chassis, but she was still worried that V wouldn't grasp her meaning and would break her own arm.
Controlling flesh and controlling a Chassis are two different things.
If the Chassis's double Reflex speed compared to the flesh cannot be controlled properly, it is entirely possible for the body to be snapped inside the Mech.
Therefore, Berry watched V nervously, her hand resting on the button for remotely cutting the armor's power, thinking that if it failed again, she would press the button.
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